For the Consumer

Along with its needed effects, fludarabine (the active ingredient contained in Fludara) may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking fludarabine:

Some side effects of fludarabine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More Common

Less Common

For Healthcare Professionals

General

In general, the most common dose-limiting toxicities have been myelosuppression (60%), fever and chills (11% to 60%, sometimes without infection), infection (33%, including serious opportunistic infections), and nausea and vomiting (36%).

General side effects including pain (up to 19%), flu syndrome (up to 8%), and decreased weight (up to 6%) have been reported.[Ref]

Hematologic

Hematologic toxicity has been reported to have occurred in the majority of patients. It presents as either neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, or a combination. Fifty-nine percent of patients develop an absolute neutrophil count of less than 500/mm3, 60% develop a hemoglobin concentration decrease by at least 2 g percent, and 55% develop a platelet count decrease by 50%. Several instances of trilineage bone marrow hypoplasia or aplasia resulting in sometimes fatal pancytopenia have been reported. Rarely, bone marrow fibrosis or clinically significant hemolytic anemia have been associated with the use of fludarabine (the active ingredient contained in Fludara) A single case of pure red cell aplasia has been reported.[Ref]

Myelosuppression may be severe, cumulative, and may affect multiple cell lines.[Ref]

Immunologic

Instances of life-threatening and sometimes fatal autoimmune hemolytic anemia have been reported after one or more cycles of treatment in patients with or without a previous history of autoimmune hemolytic anemia or a positive Coombs test and who may or may not be in remission for their disease. Steroids may be effective in controlling these hemolytic episodes. The majority of affected patients developed a recurrence upon rechallenge.

An increased incidence of infections with pathogens not commonly associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia have been associated with the use of fludarabine (the active ingredient contained in Fludara) especially when given with corticosteroids. These have included Listeria, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, disseminated varicella-zoster, cytomegalovirus, and unusual fungal pathogens. Fludarabine can significantly decrease the quantity of T-helper cells.[Ref]

Immunologic side effects have been reported secondary to neutropenia which predisposes patients to infection. Pneumonia has been reported in 16% to 22% of treated patients from major clinical trials. Other, less common, infections include minor bacterial and/or fungal infections of the oropharynx, upper respiratory tract, urinary tract, and soft tissue, as well as herpes zoster infections. The risk of sepsis or life-threatening infection appears greatest during the first three courses of chemotherapy with fludarabine in patients with extensive disease.[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

Gastrointestinal side effects including nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea have been reported in up to 36% of patients. Anorexia, stomatitis, esophagitis, mucositis, constipation, taste disturbances, abdominal pain, and gastrointestinal bleeding have been reported in less than 30% of patients.[Ref]

Most cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy had a fatal outcome. Many of these cases were confounded by prior and/or concurrent chemotherapy. The time to onset has ranged from a few weeks to approximately one year after initiating treatment.

The early trials of fludarabine given at high doses in the treatment of acute leukemia (up to 125 mg/m2 per day for up to 7 days) revealed evidence of severe CNS toxicity. Progressive optic neuritis, cortical blindness, seizures, and paralysis developed in some patients up to 2 months after therapy ended. Use of lower doses for low-grade lymphoid malignancy has not generally been associated with these severe side effects. However, progressive headaches, paresthesias, hemiparesis, and progressive and fatal neurologic dysfunction have rarely been associated with recommended doses.[Ref]

Rare cases of diffuse alveolar damage have been associated with tumor lysis syndrome and the use of fludarabine.

In a clinical investigation using fludarabine injection in combination with pentostatin for the treatment of refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia in adults, there was an unacceptably high incidence of fatal pulmonary toxicity.[Ref]

Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular side effects including peripheral edema (8%) and chest pain (up to 5%) have been reported. A single case of pericardial effusion has been associated with the use of fludarabine (the active ingredient contained in Fludara) [Ref]

Genitourinary

Genitourinary side effects including dysuria, hematuria, or proteinuria have been reported in 1% to 4% of patients. Rare cases of hemorrhagic cystitis have also been reported.[Ref]

Renal

A single case of acute renal failure secondary to mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis has been associated with the use of fludarabine (the active ingredient contained in Fludara) in a 60-year-old man who had refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This lesion has rarely been associated with CLL itself.[Ref]

Renal side effects including hemolytic uremic syndrome and acute renal failure have rarely been associated with the use of fludarabine.[Ref]

Metabolic

TLS may result in serious metabolic problems, including hyperuricemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypocalcemia, metabolic acidosis, hyperkalemia, hematuria, urate crystalluria, renal failure, and even death. (Allopurinol before and during therapy is recommended.) The onset of this syndrome may be heralded by flank pain and hematuria.[Ref]

Metabolic side effects including tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) has been reported to have occurred in approximately 1% of patients. A single case of diffuse alveolar damage has been associated with TLS and the use of fludarabine.[Ref]

Dermatologic

Most dermatologic problems are related to allergic reactions to fludarabine (the active ingredient contained in Fludara) [Ref]

Dermatologic side effects including increased sweating (up to 14%), diaphoresis (up to 8%), skin disorder (up to 6%), and rash (up to 5%) have been reported. Alopecia has been reported only rarely.[Ref]

Oncologic

Oncologic side effects have been reported in animal studies. Fludarabine phosphate was clastogenic in vitro to Chinese hamster ovary cells (chromosome aberrations in the presence of metabolic activation and induce sister chromatid exchanges both with and without metabolic activation). In addition, fludarabine (the active ingredient contained in Fludara) phosphate was clastogenic in vivo (mouse micronucleus assay).[Ref]

Hepatic

Hepatic side effects including increased lactic dehydrogenase (up to 6%) have been reported.

Musculoskeletal

Musculoskeletal side effects including back pain (up to 9%) have been reported.